Who Should I Start? Easton Stick or Graham Mertz

Tuesday, August 26, 11:24 PM

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Easton Stick was released on Tuesday, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. The move helped the Falcons trim their roster down to 53 players, and it leaves Atlanta with only Michael Penix Jr. and Kirk Cousins in its quarterback room. Stick appeared in all three preseason games, completing 54 of 78 pass attempts for 520 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions. He also took five sacks. The former fifth-round pick spent his first six NFL seasons with the Chargers before inking a deal with Atlanta in April. Now, he'll look for a new landing spot as Week 1 approaches. NewOrleans.Football's Mike Triplett reported that the Saints looked into signing Stick before he wound up with Atlanta, so perhaps they'll continue to show interest now that he's a free agent again. Regardless of where the veteran quarterback ends up, he should be avoided in all fantasy leagues.

Monday, August 25, 6:32 AM

Houston Texans quarterback Graham Mertz got the start in the team's preseason finale in Detroit on Sunday, and the sixth-round rookie had a very strong showing while leading his team to a 26-7 win over the Lions. With starter C.J. Stroud and primary backup Davis Mills getting the day off, Mertz completed 14 of his 16 pass attempts for an efficient 145 passing yards. He threw a touchdown to Quintez Cephus and led three scoring drives before halftime. He also added 20 rushing yards on two carries. Mertz played ahead of Kedon Slovis, who was on the Texans' practice squad last year and took over for the second half of Saturday's win. Mertz likely secured the third spot on the quarterback depth chart with his strong showing, while Slovis could be headed back to the practice squad.